Mushy rice

What to do now

1. Drain it immediately if there is standing water, and tip it into a wide tray in a thin layer. Spread out, steam escapes and it dries considerably.
2. Put it in a low oven — 150°C for ten minutes, uncovered, fluffing once. This drives off surface moisture and firms it up noticeably.
3. Fluff with a fork, never a spoon. Stirring mushy rice releases more starch and makes it worse.
4. If it is beyond saving as rice, turn it into something that wants soft rice: egg fried rice (chill it first), rice pudding, arancini, rice fritters, soup, or a rice-thickened soup.
5. Do not add more water and cook it longer. That is the opposite of what it needs.

Why it went mushy

• Too much water. The commonest cause. Absorption-method rice needs a fairly precise ratio and there is no margin for guessing.
• Cooked too long, or left with the heat on after the water was absorbed.
• Lid off, or lifted repeatedly. Steam escapes, so people add more water, and the rice ends up waterlogged.
• Stirred during cooking. Stirring rubs starch off the grains and makes everything gluey. Rice is not risotto — see risotto for when you do want that.
• Not rinsed. Surface starch cooks into a gluey coating. Rinse until the water runs nearly clear.
• Wrong rice. Short-grain and pudding rice are meant to be soft. For separate fluffy grains you want long-grain or basmati.

Ratios that work, by absorption

Rice varies, so treat these as a starting point and adjust once for your rice and pan.

Basmati

Around 1 part rice to 1.5 parts water by volume, after rinsing and a 20-minute soak.

Long-grain white

Around 1 to 1.75.

Brown rice

Around 1 to 2.25, and much longer cooking.

Jasmine

Around 1 to 1.25. It needs less than most people give it.

Boiled like pasta

A large pan of salted water, drained when done. Ratios stop mattering entirely, and this is the most forgiving method.

The reliable method

1. Rinse the rice in cold water, swirling, until the water runs nearly clear.
2. Soak basmati for twenty minutes if you want long separate grains. Drain well.
3. Combine rice and measured water in a pan with a tight lid and a good pinch of salt.
4. Bring to the boil uncovered, then turn the heat to its absolute lowest and put the lid on.
5. Do not lift the lid. Ten to twelve minutes for white rice.
6. Take it off the heat and let it stand, still covered, for ten minutes. This is where the grains firm up and separate, and skipping it is a common cause of wet rice.
7. Fluff with a fork.

Common questions